A Blog About Well-Being

While I’m working on a can’t-wait-project today, I wanted to leave you with an article I wrote about incorporating certain spices in your cool weather cooking and baking for both their wonderful, warming flavors, but also for the added health boost. As I’ve been teaching myself some long desired cooking skills and learning more about pairing spices with my meals, I know I’m excited to experiment even more than before! If you make anything great with the spices below, share your recipes and photos. Let’s swap favorites!

Wishing You Total Well-Being,

Jennifer
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With autumn just around the corner, there are so many great cool weather foods to look forward to. This often means getting to use warming spices that add flavor and depth to our dishes. These spices aren’t just tasty; they may be beneficial to our health, too. Here are three worthy of experimenting with the next time you feel like being creative in the kitchen.

Turmeric – You know that elated feeling you get after a good meal at an Indian restaurant? There’s a pretty cool reason for it, and it’s caused by turmeric. Common in curry recipes, turmeric is rich in curcumin, which has been shown to be helpful for depression. It’s also a powerful anti-inflammatory, making it excellent for joint pain and arthritis. It’s also helpful for reducing redness and acne when used topically. It’s bright yellow color can cling to fabrics and surfaces though, so make sure you’re not wearing or washing with anything that you can’t bleach. If eating it or applying it to the skin isn’t for you, turmeric is a great addition to fresh juices, and it blends well with other fruits and vegetables so you can mask the flavor, but still reap the benefits.

Ginger – There’s a reason we drink ginger ale when we have the flu. It’s because ginger is a gem for fighting nausea. It does this by causing the muscles in the GI tract to relax. Not feeling queasy? Ginger, like turmeric, is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Take it for pain and muscle aches and feel better in no time. Ginger is great when brewed like tea. Add slices of lemon for a warming drink to calm indigestion soothe long inflammation or ease menstrual cramps.

Cinnamon – This sweet spice isn’t just a common addition to sweet treats, it packs an antioxidant punch, too. That’s because it’s loaded with polyphenols, which makes it better than garlic and oregano for fighting free radicals. It also may help with weight loss and insulin sensitivity. Studies show that helping to regulate spikes in blood sugar; cinnamon could keep some sugars from being stored as fat. Sprinkle it on sweet potatoes, oatmeal or add it to warm beverages for a boost. Just make sure you’re looking for Ceylon cinnamon, or true cinnamon, for the best benefit.

With anything, it makes good sense to practice precautions when changing your diet. Adding too much of anything to a dish is a surefire way to ruin it, and the same holds true when using spices as supplements. Less is almost always more. It’s also smart to talk to your doctor about possible interaction with anything you may already be taking. Once you’re in the clear, open your kitchen cabinets and get creative. Variety is the spice of life, after all!